In case you missed events and interesting news from the world of Apple this week, check out this roundup of top stories, so you’re all caught up with everything Apple.
This week, the hype continues to build for Apple’s “Unleashed” event slated for October 18. The company will launch the updated MacBook Pro lineup. Also, several reviewers published their two cents about the Apple Watch Series 7. While Apple TV+ content continues to be pirated, a student successfully swapped the Lightning connector on an iPhone X for USB-C.
Everything We Expect From Apple’s ‘Unleashed’ Event on Monday
Apple has been amplifying the hype surrounding its “Unleashed” virtual event scheduled for October 18. We expect the Cupertino giant to unveil models of the redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. Touted to be the most significant upgrade since 2016, rumor has it that the new MacBooks could sport a notched display, improved cooling, a dedicated HDMI port, and the M1X 10-core CPU mated to a 32-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB storage. The Touch Bar is also expected to be replaced by a row of function keys.
At the event, Apple is also expected to release the stable build of macOS Monterey after months of beta testing since the unveiling at WWDC this year. Some also expect the AirPods 3 to be launched, although they don’t quite fit the event’s theme. Here’s our summary of the leaks about it so far.
Apple Watch Series 7 Review Roundup: Here’s What Reviewers Think
Just as the first deliveries of the Apple Watch Series 7 began, reputable publications released their reviews and thoughts on the wearable. The overall sentiment was positive. Apple garnered praise for the new features it enabled using the dated Apple Watch Series 6 hardware. Reviewers noted that the battery life and charging speed were impressive, and the screen was noticeably larger than the Series 6.
In summary, the general sentiment was that you could let this incremental upgrade pass unless you really need a watch upgrade. The widespread availability of the Apple Watch Series 7 began on October 15.
Apple Releases iOS 15.1 Beta 4, iOS 15.0.2 Stable Build
This week, Apple released the fourth beta build of iOS 15.1 and iPadOS 15.1 for developers. The fourth beta build focuses on bug fixes and stability improvements ahead of the public release of the OS. Here’s a detailed list of everything new with iOS 15.1.
Parallelly, Apple also released iOS 15.0.2 and iPadOS 15.0.2 for stable channel users. The update comprises various bug fixes and stability issues. Importantly, this update fixes the CarPlay connectivity issues that plagued iPhone 13 since its launch. The update was accompanied by watchOS version 8.0.1 fixing Apple Watch Series 3-related issues.
Robotics Student Creates World’s First USB-C iPhone
A robotics student in Switzerland swapped the Lightning connector on an iPhone X with a USB-C port. The project entailed significant amounts of research, cutting the iPhone’s frame, and the use of innovative technologies such as 3D printing. However, the effort was well worth it, and the USB-C connector was capable of charging and data transfer.
The project demonstrated that if Apple wanted to, it could conveniently ditch the Lightning connector and switch to USB-C. For now, if you have the right tools, you can follow along with this project.
Apple Grappling with Rampant Apple TV+ Content Piracy
The popularity of Apple TV+’s content has attracted online piracy since November 2019. Shows like “Ted Lasso,” “The Morning Show,” and “SEE” have been pirated the most. Apple is firefighting by issuing DMCA takedown orders to Google, so the piracy websites aren’t indexed in search results. However, the piracy websites maintain several proxies and regularly hop domains, making them hard to catch.
Moreover, Cloudflare’s policy poses problems, and most websites only host links for the content and not the pirated media itself. Over 320,000 reports have been actioned on, but Apple continues to be a victim.
Other Top Apple Stories This Week:
- WhatsApp finally allows users to enable end-to-end encryption for chat backups.
- WhatsApp could allow pausing and resuming voice message recordings.
- Apple continues to earn the majority of the smartphone market’s profit.
- iPhones have become costlier by 81 percent since their 2007 debut.
- Google apps on iPhone adopt Apple’s design language.
- Rumors suggest the upcoming M1X-powered MacBook Pro could have a notched display.
Want a daily dose of Apple news? Make sure to follow our Twitter and Facebook social media handles. You can also subscribe to our daily newsletter, where we bring all the news from Apple’s world straight to your mailbox.
